CN114791586A

CN114791586A - Time-of-flight vehicle user location distance determination

Info

Publication number: CN114791586A
Application number: CN202210082661.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: A·瓦卡列洛; 维维卡纳德·埃兰戈维安; 约翰·罗伯特·范维梅尔施
Original assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
Current assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
Priority date: 2021-01-25
Filing date: 2022-01-24
Publication date: 2022-07-26
Also published as: DE102022101592A1; US11914064B2; US20220236363A1

Abstract

The present disclosure provides "time-of-flight vehicle user location distance determination". A method for locating a user device using a time-of-flight (ToF) antenna array disposed on a vehicle, the method comprising determining, via a ToF location controller, that a user device is located at a forward area of a vehicle, calculating a distance from a combination of two ToF antennas of the ToF antenna array to the user device, and performing a two-dimensional (2D) trilateration calculation. The method further includes evaluating a confidence measure, determining a position of the user device based on the confidence measure, and generating an unlock signal to unlock a vehicle door.

Description

Time-of-flight vehicle user location distance determination

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to mobile device positioning, and more particularly to mobile device positioning using a time-of-flight (ToF) positioning device.

Background

Some antenna transmission radio technologies utilize low energy levels for short range, high bandwidth communications over a large bandwidth (e.g., >500MHz) of the unlicensed radio spectrum. Some wireless applications are used for target sensor data collection, precise positioning of devices, and tracking applications.

An exemplary wireless technology uses radio positioning by using a radio system to determine ToF of transmissions at various frequencies. In some conventional applications, human signal absorption and other signal obstructions may significantly affect system performance, which may bias Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) measurements, which may adversely affect device positioning.

With cooperative symmetric two-way metering techniques, distances can be measured with high resolution and accuracy. This feature can overcome signal loss due to artificial absorption and other signal loss causes. The use of multiple antenna systems may increase transmission range by utilizing distributed antennas between multiple nodes in an antenna array. The distributed antenna array can increase the transmission range and improve the system throughput and the receiving reliability.

With respect to these and other considerations, the disclosure herein is set forth.

Disclosure of Invention

The present disclosure now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are shown, and which are not intended to be limiting.

A method for determining a particular area in which a wireless device (e.g., a user's cell phone) is located relative to a vehicle is disclosed. Combining ToF enables the use of ToF between two time-of-flight (ToF) devices, which communicate at high frequencies between the devices. ToF measures the time it takes for a high frequency signal to travel back and forth between the two devices. In some aspects, the ToF may be based on a Round Trip Time (RTT) minus an empirically established and known fixed delay time in the transponder modules of the sending and receiving devices. The method implements a plurality of ToF modules disposed at the vehicle that use ToF to develop an algorithm that locates a ToF device for 360 ° coverage around the vehicle and determines whether the device is inside or outside the vehicle. The algorithm may do so using, for example, seven modules, but may be able to locate and mark the ToF device even if some of the modules are unable to communicate with the ToF device. These determinations may differ based on whether the user is within or outside of a predetermined threshold distance of the vehicle.

Although described as a process and infrastructure for locating a user device using ToF where the user may be carrying the user device, it is to be understood that the disclosed systems and methods may be interchangeably directed to the location of the user carrying the user device and/or the location of the user device where the user may or may not be present.

For positions outside of the predetermined threshold, the system may test four operating range logical OR conditions to determine if the device is in the 0 region (in front of the vehicle). If one of the four checks passes, the user is determined to be in the 0 ° zone. If all four checks fail, the system may determine that the user device is not located at the 0 ° zone. The system may then have the algorithm check if the user is in the next zone, i.e. the 45 ° zone.

The or condition begins with check 1, which determines, for example, whether the user device is less than the user's distance from tag 0 than all internal tags, whether the "and" user is less than the user device is from tag 2 than all internal tags, whether the "and" user device is less than 7 meters from tag 6, and whether tag 1 and tag 3 fail to communicate with the user device. If so (e.g., all check #1 conditions are met), the system determines that the user device is positioned at a 0 ° region in front of the vehicle, and the system continues with the distance calculation. If not, the system may proceed to check 2.

Check 2 determines whether the user device is the largest distance of all seven tags from tag 5. In response to a positive determination of the distance, the system determines that the user device is located in front of the vehicle. In response to a negative determination, the system proceeds to check 3.

Check 3 determines whether the user is a maximum distance from tag 6 among all seven tags, and "tag 1 and tag 3 fail to communicate with the user's ToF device. In response to a positive determination, the system determines that the user device is located in front of the vehicle.

Check 4 determines whether the distance from tag 0 is greater than a predetermined threshold distance (e.g., 11m, 10.5m, 10m, etc.). In response to a positive determination that the distance from tag 0 to the user device exceeds the threshold distance, the system determines that the user device is positioned at 0 °, and proceeds to perform the distance calculation.

In response to a negative determination (e.g., the distance between tag 0 and the user device is greater than a threshold distance), the system determines that the user device is not positioned at 0 °. The system can then move to the next 45 position.

To perform the positioning at each distance according to the predetermined threshold, the system may further test four and conditions. Unlike the positioning performed when the device exceeds a predetermined threshold, if all four checks pass, it is determined that the user is in the 0 ° zone. If any of the four checks fails, then it is determined that the user is not in the 0 ° zone. The algorithm then proceeds to check if the user is in the next zone, i.e. the 45 ° zone. In response to determining that the user is approaching the vehicle at the 45 ° zone, the system may trigger an unlocking action that provides the user with vehicle access.

Drawings

The detailed description explains the embodiments with reference to the drawings. The use of the same reference numbers may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and/or components other than those shown in the figures, and some elements and/or components may not be present in various embodiments. Elements and/or components in the drawings have not necessarily been drawn to scale. Throughout this disclosure, singular and plural terms may be used interchangeably, depending on the context.

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary computing environment in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented.

FIG. 2 depicts a functional schematic of a Driver Assistance Technology (DAT) controller according to the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary automotive computer configured to communicate with a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna array in accordance with the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 depicts a flow diagram for locating a user device using ToF technology in accordance with the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 depicts another flow diagram for locating a user device using ToF in accordance with the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 is a table of measured tag distances relative to MIMO antenna arrays at 0 ° according to the present disclosure.

Fig. 7 is a table of measured tag distances at 0 ° relative to a MIMO antenna array according to the present disclosure.

Fig. 8 depicts another functional flow diagram for locating a user using ToF in accordance with the present disclosure.

Fig. 9A and 9B depict locating a mobile device using trilateration in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 depicts the use of trilateration to locate a mobile device according to the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary computing environment 100 that may include a vehicle 105. The vehicle 105 may include a car computer 145 and a Vehicle Control Unit (VCU)165, which may include a plurality of Electronic Control Units (ECUs) 117 disposed in communication with the car computer 145. Mobile device 120 (which may be associated with user 140 and vehicle 105) may connect with automotive computer 145 using wired and/or wireless communication protocols and transceivers. Mobile device 120 may be communicatively coupled with vehicle 105 via one or more networks 125, which may communicate via one or more wireless connections 130, and/or which may use Near Field Communication (NFC) protocols,

Protocols, Wi-Fi, ultra-wideband (ToF), and other possible data connection and sharing technologies to connect directly with vehicle 105.

To classify the user's location as positioning occurs, eight vehicle zones 106 may be defined. Vehicle region 106 is depicted as a dashed oval surrounding vehicle 105. These eight regions come from the 360 ° coverage associated with the seven ToF modules 111 as indicated by the region numbers labeled as numbered diamonds. The ToF module 111 may provide vehicle surrounding location coverage in each of the respective vehicle zones 106 (e.g., 0 °, 45 °, etc.). Thus, each area covers approximately 45 ° of coverage. For example, user 140 is shown walking into the 0 ° region.

The vehicle 105 may also receive and/or communicate with a Global Positioning System (GPS) 175. The GPS 175 may be a satellite system (as depicted in FIG. 1), such as the Global navigation satellite System (GLNSS), Galileo, or navigation or other similar system. In other aspects, the GPS 175 can be an earth-based navigation network. In some embodiments, the vehicle 105 may utilize a combination of GPS and dead reckoning in response to determining that a threshold number of satellites are not identified.

The automotive computer 145 can be or include an electronic vehicle controller having one or more processors 150 and memory 155. In some exemplary embodiments, the car computer 145 may be configured to communicate with the mobile device 120 and one or more servers 170. One or more servers 170 may be part of a cloud-based computing infrastructure and may be associated with and/or include a telematics Service Delivery Network (SDN) that provides digital data services to vehicles 105 and other vehicles (not shown in fig. 1) that may be part of a fleet of vehicles.

Although shown as a sport-utility vehicle, vehicle 105 may take the form of another passenger or commercial automobile, such as, for example, an automobile, a truck, a sport-utility vehicle, a cross-over vehicle, a van, a minivan, a taxi, a bus, etc., and may be configured and/or programmed to include various types of automotive drive systems. Exemplary drive systems may include various types of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) powertrains having gasoline, diesel, or natural gas powered combustion engines with conventional drive components such as transmissions, drive shafts, differentials, and the like. In another configuration, the vehicle 105 may be configured as an Electric Vehicle (EV). More specifically, vehicle 105 may include a battery EV (bev) drive system, or a Hybrid EV (HEV) configured with a separate on-board power plant, a plug-in HEV (phev) including a HEV powertrain connectable to an external power source, and/or a parallel or series hybrid powertrain including a combustion engine power plant and one or more EV drive systems. The HEV may also include a battery and/or ultracapacitor bank for storage, a flywheel storage system, or other power generation and storage infrastructure. The vehicle 105 may also be configured as a Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) that converts liquid or solid fuel into usable power using a fuel cell (e.g., Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle (HFCV) powertrain, etc.) and/or any combination of these drive systems and components.

Further, the vehicle 105 may be a manually driven vehicle, and/or configured and/or programmed to operate in a fully autonomous (e.g., unmanned) mode (e.g., level 5 autonomous) or in one or more partially autonomous modes that may include driver assistance techniques. Examples of partially autonomous (or driver-assisted) modes are widely understood in the art as autonomous levels 1 to 4.

A vehicle with level 0 autonomous automation may not include an autonomous driving feature.

Vehicles with level 1 autonomy may include a single automated driver assistance feature, such as steering or acceleration assistance. Adaptive cruise control is one such example of a level 1 autonomous system, which includes both acceleration and steering aspects.

Level 2 autonomy in a vehicle may provide for partial automation of driver assistance techniques such as steering and acceleration functionality, with one or more automated systems being supervised by a human driver performing non-automated operations such as braking and other controls. In some aspects, with level 2 and higher autonomic features, the master user may control the vehicle while the user is inside the vehicle, or in some exemplary embodiments, from a location remote from the vehicle but within a control zone extending up to several meters from the vehicle while the vehicle is in remote operation.

Level 3 autonomy in a vehicle may provide conditional automation and control of driving characteristics. For example, level 3 vehicle autonomy may include "environmental detection" capability, where an Autonomous Vehicle (AV) may make an informed decision independently of the current driver, such as accelerating through a slow moving vehicle, while the current driver is still ready to regain control of the vehicle if the system is unable to perform a task.

The 4-level AV may be operated independently of the human driver, but may still include human controls for override operation. Level 4 automation may also enable intervention from the driving mode in response to predefined condition triggers, such as road hazards or system failures.

A level 5 AV may include a fully autonomous vehicle system that operates without human input and may not include human-operated driving controls.

The mobile device 120 may include a memory 123 for storing program instructions associated with the application 135 that, when executed by the mobile device processor 121, perform aspects of the disclosed embodiments. Application (or "app") 135 may be part of ToF positioning system 107, or may provide information to ToF positioning system 107 and/or receive information from ToF positioning system 107.

In some aspects, mobile device 120 may communicate with vehicle 105 over one or more wireless connections 130, which may be encrypted and established between mobile device 120 and a Telematics Control Unit (TCU) 160. The mobile device 120 may communicate with the TCU 160 using a wireless transmitter (not shown in fig. 1) associated with the TCU 160 on the vehicle 105. The transmitter may communicate with the mobile device 120 using a wireless communication network, such as, for example, one or more networks 125. One or more wireless connections 130 are depicted in fig. 1 as communicating via one or more networks 125 and via one or more wireless connections 133 (which may be a direct connection between vehicle 105 and mobile device 120). The one or more wireless connections 133 may include various low power consumption protocols including, for example

Low power consumption

ToF, Near Field Communication (NFC), or other protocols.

The one or more networks 125 illustrate an exemplary communication infrastructure in which connected devices discussed in various embodiments of the present disclosure may communicate. One or more networks 125 may be and/or include the internet, a private network, a public network, or other configuration that operates using any one or more known communication protocols, such as, for example, the transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP),

Wi-Fi, ToF, and cellular technologies based on Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 802.11, such as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), High Speed Packet Data Access (HSPDA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), and fifth Generation (5G), to name a few.

According to the present disclosure, the automotive computer 145 may be installed in the engine compartment of the vehicle 105 (or elsewhere in the vehicle 105) and may operate as a functional part of the ToF positioning system 107. The automotive computer 145 can include one or more processors 150 and a computer readable memory 155.

The one or more processors 150 may be disposed in communication with one or more memory devices (e.g., memory 155 and/or one or more external databases not shown in fig. 1) disposed in communication with a respective computing system. The one or more processors 150 may utilize the memory 155 to store programs in code and/or to store data to perform aspects in accordance with the present disclosure. Memory 155 may be a non-transitory computer-readable memory that stores ToF positioning program code. The memory 155 may include any one or combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), etc.) and may include any one or more non-volatile memory elements (e.g., Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), flash memory, Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM), etc.).

VCU 165 may share a power bus 178 with automotive computer 145 and may be configured and/or programmed to coordinate data between the vehicle 105 system, connected servers (e.g., one or more servers 170), and other vehicles (not shown in fig. 1) operating as part of a fleet. VCU 165 may include or communicate with any combination of ECUs 117, such as, for example, a Body Control Module (BCM)193, an Engine Control Module (ECM)185, a Transmission Control Module (TCM)190, a TCU 160, a Driver Assistance Technology (DAT) controller 199, or the like. VCU 165 may also include and/or communicate with a vehicular sensing system (VPS)181, which is coupled to and/or controls one or more vehicular sensing systems 182. In some aspects, VCU 165 may control operational aspects of vehicle 105 and implement one or more sets of instructions received from applications 135 operating on mobile device 120, one or more sets of instructions stored in computer memory 155 of automotive computer 145, including instructions operating as part of ToF positioning system 107.

The TCU 160 may be configured and/or programmed to provide vehicle connectivity to wireless computing systems on and off the vehicle 105, and may include a Navigation (NAV) receiver 188 for receiving and processing GPS signals from the GPS 175,

A module (BLEM)195, a Wi-Fi transceiver, a ToF transceiver, and/or other wireless transceivers (not shown in fig. 1) that may be configured for wireless communication between vehicle 105 and other systems, computers, and modules. The TCU 160 may be provided to communicate with the ECU 117 via a bus 180. In some aspects, the TCU 160 may retrieve and send data as nodes in the CAN bus.

BLEM 195 may be used by broadcasting and/or listening to the broadcast of the adlet package and establishing a connection with a responding device configured in accordance with embodiments described herein

And

the communication protocol establishes wireless communication. For example, BLEM 195 may include client device generic attribute profile (GATT) device connectivity for responding to or initiating GATT commands and requests, and may be directly connected with mobile device 120 and/or one or more keys (which may include, for example, key fob 179).

The bus 180 may be configured as a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus organized in a multi-master serial bus standard for connecting two or more of the ECUs 117 as nodes using a message-based protocol that may be configured and/or programmed to allow the ECUs 117 to communicate with each other. The bus 180 may be or include high speed CAN (which may have bit speeds of up to 1Mb/s over CAN, up to 5Mb/s over CAN Flexible data Rate (CAN FD)) devices and may include low speed or fault tolerant CAN (up to 125Kbps) devices, which may use a linear bus configuration in some configurations. In some aspects, the ECU 117 may communicate with a host computer (e.g., the car computer 145, the ToF positioning system 107, and/or the one or more servers 170, etc.) and may also communicate with each other without the need for a host computer. The bus 180 may connect the ECU 117 with the vehicle computer 145 so that the vehicle computer 145 may retrieve information from the ECU 117, send information to the ECU, and otherwise interact with the ECU to perform steps according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The bus 180 may connect the CAN bus nodes (e.g., the ECU 117) to each other through a two-wire bus, which may be a twisted pair wire with a nominal characteristic impedance. Bus 180 may also be implemented using other communication protocol solutions, such as Media Oriented System Transport (MOST) or ethernet. In other aspects, the bus 180 may be a wireless in-vehicle bus.

VCU 165 may communicate via bus 180 to directly control various loads or may implement such control in conjunction with BCM 193. The ECU 117 described with respect to VCU 165 is provided for exemplary purposes only and is not intended to be limiting or exclusive. Control and/or communication with other control modules not shown in fig. 1 is possible and contemplated.

In an exemplary embodiment, the ECU 117 may use input from a human driver, input from an autonomous vehicle controller, the ToF positioning system 107, and/or control aspects of vehicle operation and communication via wireless signal input received from other connected devices (such as the mobile device 120, etc.) over one or more wireless connections 133. When configured as nodes in the bus 180, the ECUs 117 may each include a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a CAN controller, and/or a transceiver (not shown in fig. 1). For example, although mobile device 120 is depicted in fig. 1 as being connected to vehicle 105 via BLEM 195, it is also possible and contemplated that wireless connection 133 may also or alternatively be established between mobile device 120 and one or more of ECUs 117 via one or more respective transceivers associated with one or more modules.

The BCM 193 typically includes an integration of sensors, vehicle performance indicators, and variable reactors associated with vehicle systems, and may include a processor-based power distribution circuit that can control functions associated with the vehicle body, such as lights, windows, safety, door lock and access controls, and various comfort controls. BCM 193 may also operate as a gateway to a bus and network interface to interact with remote ECUs (not shown in fig. 1).

The BCM 193 may coordinate any one or more of a variety of vehicle functionalities, including energy management systems, alarms, vehicle immobilizers, driver and occupant entry authorization systems, cell phone or key (PaaK) systems, driver assistance systems, AV control systems, power windows, doors, actuators, and other functionalities, among others. BCM 193 may be configured for vehicle energy management, exterior lighting control, wiper functionality, power window and door functionality, hvac systems, and driver integration systems. In other aspects, BCM 193 may control auxiliary device functionality, and/or be responsible for integrating such functionality.

The DAT controller 199 may provide level 1 to level 3 autopilot and driver assist functions, which may include other features such as active park assist, trailer backup assist, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, and/or driver status monitoring. The DAT controller 199 may also provide aspects of user and environment input that may be used for user authentication. The authentication features may include, for example, biometric authentication and identification.

The DAT controller 199 may obtain input information via a sensing system 182, which may include sensors disposed inside and/or outside of the vehicle (sensors not shown in fig. 1). The DAT controller 199 may receive sensor information associated with driver functions, vehicle functions, and environmental inputs, as well as other information. The DAT controller 199 may characterize the sensor information for identifying biometric indicia stored in a security biometric data vault (not shown in fig. 1) on the vehicle 105 and/or stored via the one or more servers 170.

In other aspects, the DAT controller 199 may also be configured and/or programmed to control level 1 and/or level 2 driver assistance when the vehicle 105 includes level 1 or level 2 autonomous vehicle driving features. The DAT controller 199 may be connected to and/or include a vehicle sensing system (VPS)181, which may include internal and external sensing systems (collectively referred to as sensing systems 182). The sensing system 182 may be configured and/or programmed to obtain sensor data that may be used for biometric authentication and for performing driver assistance operations such as, for example, active parking, trailer backup assistance, adaptive cruise control and lane keeping, driver status monitoring, and/or other features.

The vehicle PaaK system (not shown in fig. 1) determines and monitors the position of the PaaK-enabled mobile device relative to the vehicle's location to periodically broadcast a pre-authentication message to the mobile device 120 or other passive key device, such as the key fob 179. When the mobile device 120 approaches a predetermined communication range relative to the vehicle location, the mobile device may transmit a preliminary response message to the PaaK-enabled vehicle. The vehicle PaaK system may buffer the preliminary response message until a user associated with the authentication device performs an unlocking action, such as actuating a vehicle door lock/unlock mechanism, for example, by pulling a door handle. The PaaK system can unlock the doors using data that has been sent to the preprocessor to perform a first level of authentication without the delay associated with a full authentication step.

After actuating the door latch, the PaaK system may perform a post-authentication confirmation using the security processor by transmitting a verification message to the requesting device that includes a challenge value that requires a verification response from the requesting device and authenticating the response using the security processor. A response message that correctly replies to the verification message may confirm the authenticity of the requesting device and take no further mitigating action.

The one or more processors 150 may provide initial access to the vehicle 105 when the mobile device 120 is passively entering a passive start (PEPS) zone. Determining that the mobile device 120 is near the vehicle 105 and within the PEPS zone, in conjunction with one or more other triggering factors, may cause the pre-authorization step to begin. For example, the one or more processors 150 may generate a security processor initialization instruction in response to a door latch being opened or a user touching a door handle or a sensing area of a keyless entry keypad or presence detection by a camera, electromagnetic sensing, or other method. The one or more processors 150 may receive sensor outputs indicative of an attempt to enter the vehicle.

The handle touch itself does not trigger an unlock instruction. Rather, in an exemplary embodiment, a touch of the door handle plus a proximity indication associated with the position of the mobile device 120 relative to the vehicle 105 may cause a door handle sensor (not shown in fig. 1) to transmit a sensor output to the one or more processors 150. The one or more processors 150 may receive vehicle sensor outputs associated with actuation of a door handle (not shown in fig. 1) (and more precisely, associated with actuation of a door latch mechanism (not shown in fig. 1) of the door handle) and, in response, generate a security processor initialization instruction to the one or more security processors 150.

The one or more processors 150, in conjunction with the one or more security processors 150, may also provide access to the vehicle 105 by unlocking the doors 198 (not shown in fig. 1) based on the generated key-on request and/or authentication messages stored in the cache memory of the car computer 145 (key-on request and authentication messages not shown in fig. 1). The secure processor initialization instructions may initialize the one or more secure processors 150 by sending an instruction to "wake up" the one or more secure processors 150 by changing the power consumption mode profile from a low power consumption state to a higher power consumption state. After initialization, the one or more security processors 150 may verify the authentication message stored in the cache of the car computer 145 before unlocking the doors 198.

The computing system architecture of the automotive computer 145, VCU 165, and/or ToF positioning system 107 may omit certain computing modules. It should be readily understood that the computing environment depicted in fig. 1 is an example of a possible implementation in accordance with the present disclosure, and thus should not be viewed as limiting or exclusive.

The car computer 145 may be connected to an infotainment system 110 that may provide an interface for a navigation and GPS receiver 188 and a ToF positioning system 107. The infotainment system 110 may include voice recognition features, biometric identification capability that may identify a user based on facial recognition, voice recognition, fingerprint recognition, or other biometric means. In other aspects, the infotainment system 110 may provide user identification using mobile device pairing techniques (e.g., connection with the mobile device 120), Personal Identification Number (PIN) codes, passwords, passphrases, or other identification means.

FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary DAT controller 199 according to an embodiment. As explained in the previous figures, the DAT controller 199 may provide both autopilot and driver assistance functionality, and may provide aspects of user and environmental assistance. The DAT controller 199 may facilitate user authentication, such as biometric authentication, which may include facial recognition, fingerprint recognition, voice recognition, gait recognition, and other unique and non-unique biometric aspects. The DAT controller 199 may also provide vehicle monitoring and multimedia integration with driving assistance.

In one exemplary embodiment, the DAT controller 199 may include a sensor I/O module 205, a chassis I/O module 207, a biometric identification module (BRM)210, a ToF location module 215, an active park assist module 220, a blind spot information system (BLIS) module 225, a trailer reverse assist module 230, a lane keeping control module 235, a vehicle camera module 240, an adaptive cruise control module 245, a driver status monitoring system 250, and an augmented reality integration module 255, among other systems. It should be understood that the functional schematic depicted in FIG. 2 is provided as an overview of the functional capabilities of the DAT controller 199 and should not be considered limiting. In some embodiments, the vehicle 105 may include more or fewer modules and control systems.

The DAT controller 199 may obtain input information via one or more sensing systems 182, which may include external sensing systems 281 and internal sensing systems 283 sensors disposed on the interior and/or exterior of the vehicle 105, and via a chassis I/O module 207, which may be in communication with the ECU 117. The DAT controller 199 may receive sensor information associated with driver functions, and environmental inputs, as well as other information from one or more sensing systems 182.

The DAT controller 199 may be configured and/or programmed to provide biometric authentication control for the vehicle 105 including, for example, facial recognition, fingerprint recognition, voice recognition, and/or providing other authentication information associated with characterization, identification, occupant appearance, occupant status, and/or verification of other artifacts (such as gait recognition, body heat characteristics, eye tracking, etc.). The DAT controller 199 may obtain sensor information from an external sensing system 281, which may include sensors disposed outside the vehicle and in devices connectable to the vehicle 105, such as the mobile device 120 and/or the key fob 179.

The DAT controller 199 may further be connected to the sensing system 182, which may include an interior sensing system 283 and may include any number of sensors configured within a vehicle (e.g., a cabin, which is not depicted in FIG. 2). The external sensing system 281 and the internal sensing system 283 may be connected to and/or include one or more Inertial Measurement Units (IMU)284, one or more camera sensors 285, one or more fingerprint sensors 287, and/or one or more other sensors 289, and obtain biometric data that may be used to characterize sensor information used to identify biometric markers stored in a security biometric data repository (not shown in fig. 2) on the vehicle 105 and obtain environmental data used to provide driver assist features. The DAT controller 199 may obtain sensory data, which may include one or more external sensor response signals and one or more internal sensor response signals (collectively, sensory data), from the external sensing system 281 and the internal sensing system 283 via the sensor I/O module 205. The DAT controller 199 (and more particularly the biometric identification module 210) can characterize the sensory data and generate occupant appearance and status information to an occupant manager, which can use the sensory data in accordance with the described embodiments.

Internal sensing system 283 and external sensing system 281 can provide sensed data obtained from external sensing system 281 and sensed data obtained from internal sensing system. The sensory data may include information from any of the sensors 284-289, where the external sensor request message and/or the internal sensor request message may include one or more sensor modalities to be used by the respective sensor system to obtain the sensory data.

The one or more camera sensors 285 may include thermal cameras, RGB (red green blue) cameras, NIR (near infrared) cameras, and/or hybrid cameras with thermal, RGB, NIR sensing, or other sensing capabilities. The thermal camera may provide thermal information of objects within the field of view of the one or more cameras, including, for example, a heat map of the subject in the camera frame. A standard camera may provide color and/or black and white image data of one or more targets within a camera frame. The one or more camera sensors 285 may further include still imaging or provide a series of sampled data (e.g., a camera feed) to the biometric identification module 210.

The one or more IMUs 284 may include gyroscopes, accelerometers, magnetometers, or other inertial measurement devices. The one or more fingerprint sensors 287 may include any number of sensor devices configured and/or programmed to obtain fingerprint information. The one or more fingerprint sensors 287 and/or the one or more IMUs 284 may also be integrated with and/or in communication with passive key devices, such as, for example, the mobile device 120 and/or the key fob 179. One or more fingerprint sensors 287 and/or one or more IMUs 284 may also (or alternatively) be disposed on a vehicle exterior space, such as an engine compartment (not shown in fig. 2), a door panel (not shown in fig. 2), etc. In other aspects, when included with the interior sensing system 283, one or more IMUs 284 may be integrated in one or more modules disposed within the passenger compartment or on another interior surface of the vehicle.

Fig. 3 shows a vehicle 105 provided with an automotive computer 145 (not shown in fig. 3). Automotive communications are operably connected to and communicate with an antenna array 305, which may include, for example, a plurality of time-of-flight (ToF) modules 111, which may include tags (ToF modules) 111A, 111B, 111C, 111D, 111E, 111F, and 111G. The ToF module is shown in fig. 3 as a diamond numbered 0 to 6 disposed at various locations on the vehicle 105 according to the present disclosure.

To classify the location of the user 140 (not shown in fig. 3) when positioning occurs, eight vehicle zones 106 may be defined. Vehicle area 106 is depicted as a dashed ellipse around vehicle 105, including

vehicle areas

106A, 106B, 106C, 106D, 106E, 106F, 106G, and 106H. These eight regions come from the 360 ° coverage associated with the seven ToF modules 111 as indicated by the region numbers labeled as numbered diamonds. The ToF module 111 may provide vehicle surrounding location coverage in each of the respective vehicle zones 106 (e.g., 0 °, 45 °, etc.). Thus, each area covers approximately 45 ° of coverage.

When using conventional positioning methods based on signal amplitude (i.e., signal amplitude of BLE, ToF, UHF, etc.), signal interference that results in absorption, reflection, or loss of the signal will cause inconsistencies in determining the position and/or distance of the ToF-enabled smartphone or other device (i.e., a ToF-enabled watch, a key fob such as the key fob 179 shown in fig. 1, or the mobile device 120, which may be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet computer, or another such device) relative to the vehicle 105, thus preventing robust execution of PaaK to perform desired operations (such as locking, unlocking, or PEPS). This is because such absorption or reflection changes the expected signal amplitude of the signal for a known distance of the transmitter from the receiver, and in part because conventional systems utilize a single module and/or antenna to position the ToF device, thus relying on only one amplitude measurement versus multiple measurements.

Conventional user proximity and location methods using angles of arrival by communicating with a single module and multiple antennas based on the angle (location) around the vehicle may provide better performance than amplitude-based methods. However, the angle-of-arrival method is also problematic for conventional positioning systems using BLE, ToF or UHF angles of arrival in cases where the lines of sight are not consistent. The above-mentioned disadvantages of amplitude and/or angle-based measurement of arriving signals can be avoided by measuring the propagation time of the signals, since the propagation time is not affected by absorption and line of sight for received signals relative to reflected (multipath) received signals, since the signals can be identified by their relative time stamps.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, ToF positioning system 107 may utilize ToF module 111 to determine an angle at which a ToF device is proximate to vehicle 105. ToF locating system 107 may detect and measure ToF using, at least in part, a combination of ToF modules 111 to accurately locate a ToF device (e.g., mobile device 120 or key fob 179, as shown in fig. 1) for 360 ° coverage around vehicle 105.

ToF positioning system 107 may determine an area around vehicle 105 that a user (not shown in fig. 3 or 4) may be standing or approaching. Exemplary use case scenarios may include, for example, line of sight in empty parking lots, non-line of sight in empty parking lots, line of sight in crowded parking lots, non-line of sight in crowded parking lots, line of sight in garages, and non-line of sight in garages. Other scenarios are also possible, and such scenarios may be envisaged.

Fig. 4 depicts a flow diagram showing the use of ToF to locate a user device in accordance with these various use case scenarios in accordance with the present disclosure. Fig. 3 and 4 will be considered together in the following section.

The positioning policy may be initiated in many different ways. Initiation means that the process of locating the mobile device 120 via PaaK to enable the passive feature has already begun. Thus, when a user device is actuated via a button or screen actuation, or when the user 140 presses/places a hand on a vehicle handle (not shown in fig. 3 or 4), the chassis I/O module 207 may cause one or more vehicle doors to be unlocked.

ToF positioning system 107 may begin initialization at step 405 in a variety of ways. For example, in one aspect, when ToF positioning system 107 causes positioning algorithm to determine that the approaching user is 2 meters or less from the skin of vehicle 105, the ToF positioning system may be activated when user 140/mobile device 120 approaches. This approach consumes the maximum power of the vehicle 105 and the smartphone or other mobile device 120 because the vehicle 105 and the mobile device 120 (in most cases) are in continuous communication and the vehicle 105 is located all or substantially all of the time.

On the other hand, the initialization step 405 begins when the mobile device 120/vehicle 105 can successfully receive and interpret signals from all seven ToF modules 111 (e.g., when all ToF modules 111 are able to send and receive data packets to and from the mobile device 120).

In another embodiment, the initialization step 405 begins when all ToF modules 111 report distance values to the mobile device to the car computer 145 and the maximum distance measurement from all modules is less than 7.3 meters.

In yet another embodiment, the initialization step 405 begins when the user presses/places a hand onto the handle of the vehicle 105 (which is the traditional and slowest possible method for the user 140 to trigger passive entry).

Using the previously mentioned handle touch testing method, the ToF positioning system 107 is able to determine a vehicle region of the plurality of vehicle regions 108 in which the mobile device 120 or other ToF device (e.g., key fob 179, etc.) is located, and calculate a distance between the mobile device 120 or other ToF device and the vehicle 105. ToF positioning system 107 performs this check regardless of the distance of user 140/mobile device 120 from vehicle 105. A first part of the algorithm (similar to the conventional operation of PEPS positioning) is initiated to determine whether the passive feature should be made available to provide vehicle access. Determining the position and distance of the user 140 relative to the vehicle 105 is still useful for continuous positioning even if the user is more than 2 meters from the vehicle 105. The program shown in fig. 4 describes the disclosed positioning method when the user position is determined to be 2 meters and below from the vehicle. Another procedure for device location using ToF when the user 140/device 120 is determined to be more than 2 meters away from the skin of the vehicle 105 is described with respect to fig. 5.

At step 405, ToF positioning system 107 may determine whether mobile device 120 is less than a predetermined threshold distance from vehicle 105. For example, in one embodiment, ToF positioning system 107 determines whether mobile device 120, which may serve as an anchor point, is located more or less than 2 meters from vehicle 105.

At step 410, ToF positioning system 107 determines the distances from the anchor point (mobile device 120) to all seven ToF modules 111. In response to a negative determination, at step 415, ToF positioning system 107 may determine that mobile device 120 is not positioned at 0 ° and proceed to evaluate the position at the second module position at 45 ° (step 416). It should be appreciated that step 416 represents

checks

1, 2, 3, and 4 of the entire algorithm but at the 45 ° module instead of at 0 °, then at 90 ° instead of 45 °, and so on, up to the entire perimeter of the vehicle 105.

At step 420, in response to a positive location determination at step 410, the ToF positioning system 107 may perform a first check (check #1) to determine whether the distance of the mobile device 120 from the tag 0111A is less than the distance of the user from all of the internal tags 111E-111G. In response to a positive determination, ToF positioning system 107 proceeds from step 420 to check # 2. In response to a negative determination at step 420, the system returns to step 415, where ToF positioning system 107 can determine that mobile device 120 is not positioned at the current location (currently at 0 ° 106A), and then proceed to a round of checking at the second location at 45 ° (step 416). It should be appreciated that step 416 represents the next position of the entire algorithm, checks 1, 2, 3, and 4 but at 45 ° instead of 0 °, then at 90 ° instead of 45 °, and so on, up to the entire perimeter of the vehicle 105.

At step 425, ToF positioning system 107 performs a second check (check #2) to determine whether the distance of mobile device 120 from tag 2111C is less than the distance of the user from all internal tags 111E-111G. In response to a positive determination, the process proceeds to check # 3. In response to a negative determination at step 425, the ToF positioning system 107 may determine that the mobile device 120 is not positioned at the current location (currently at 0 ° 106A) and then move to a round of inspection at a second location at 45 ° (step 416).

At step 430, the ToF positioning system 107 performs a third check (check #3) and determines whether the distance of the mobile device 120 from the tag 4111E is less than the distance of the user from the other two

internal tags

111F and 111G. In response to a positive determination, the process proceeds to check # 4. In response to a negative determination at step 436, the ToF positioning system 107 may determine that the mobile device 120 is not positioned at the current location (currently at 0 ° 106A) and then move to a round of inspection at the second location at 45 ° (step 416).

At step 435, the ToF positioning system 107 performs a fourth check (check #4) and determines whether the distance of the mobile device 120 from the tag 5111F is less than the distance of the user from the tag 6111G, and "whether the mobile device 120 is less than a predetermined distance (e.g., 1.5 meters, 1.8 meters, etc.) from the tag 0111A. In response to a negative determination at step 435, ToF positioning system 107 may determine that mobile device 120 is not positioned at the current location (currently at 0 ° 106A) and then move to a round of inspection at a second location at 45 ° (step 416).

At step 440, ToF positioning system 107 determines that mobile device 120 is in front of the vehicle (e.g., 106A), and proceeds to performance of the distance calculation at step 445.

Using the logical conditions from the above procedure ensures that the mobile device 120 is in one of the eight designated areas 106A-106H with a relatively higher confidence than if fewer conditions were used. Successfully determining the location of the user device (e.g., mobile device 120), and thus user 140, also ensures that the last part of the algorithm operates correctly to determine the distance of user 140 from vehicle 105. Using the closest tag to a particular region and comparing the distances to other tags in four exams (exam 1-exam 4) helps to maintain the accuracy and precision of locating user 140 using ToF.

In the case where the ToF device (e.g., mobile device 120) is not in the 0 ° zone 106A, the logic and flow chart, which use the same method, is to check whether the device is at any of the 45 ° vehicle zone 106B, the 90 ° vehicle zone 106C, or other locations around the vehicle (e.g., 106D-106H). The distance of the mobile device 120 from the various tags is measured and compared to the distance of the closest tag from the particular area being examined. For example, if the device 120 is checked to be at the 45 ° region 106B, the distances to the other tags are compared to the distances to the tags 0111A, 1111B, 4111E and 5111F. If the device 120 is checked to be at the 225 ° zone 106F, the distances from the other tags are compared to the distances from the tags 2111C, 3111D, 5111F and 6111G.

Fig. 5 depicts another flow diagram for locating a user device using ToF when the user device is determined to be more than 2 meters from vehicle 105 in accordance with the present disclosure.

These four checks depend on the tags 0111A, 1111B, 2111C, 3111D, 5111F, and 6111G. If one of the four checks (e.g., checks # 1-4 as shown in fig. 5) passes, then the mobile device 120 (and, therefore, the user 140) is determined to be at the 0 ° vehicle zone 106A. If all four checks fail, then it is determined that the mobile device 120 is not at the 0 deg. vehicle zone 106A. The algorithm then continues to check whether the user is in the next subsequent zone (e.g., 45 ° zone 106B, etc.) until all vehicle zones 106 are checked.

At step 505, ToF positioning system 107 may determine whether mobile device 120 is greater than a predetermined threshold distance from vehicle 105. One exemplary threshold distance is 2 meters. In another embodiment, the threshold distance may be 2.5 meters, 3 meters, etc. In one embodiment, starting from the 0 ° vehicle region 106A, the ToF positioning system 107 determines whether the mobile device 120 is located more or less than 2 meters from the vehicle 105.

In response to determining that mobile device 120 is more than 2 meters from vehicle 105, ToF positioning system 107 proceeds to step 510 to check the position of mobile device 120 relative to vehicle 105 at area 0 ° 106A. Thus, ToF positioning system 107 performs a first check (e.g., check 1) to determine the distance from an anchor point (e.g., mobile device 120) to all seven ToF modules 111.

At a first check (check #1) at step 515, if the mobile device 120 is less than the user device from tag 0111A than all of the

internal tags

111E, 111F, and 111G, "less than the user device from tag 2111C," less than the user device from all of the

internal tags

111E, 111F, and 111G, "less than 7 meters from tag 6111G," and "tags 1111B and 3111D are not able to communicate with the user's ToF device 120, then the user is located in front of the vehicle 105 (e.g., vehicle region 106A). In response to determining that the mobile device 120 is not in the vehicle area 106A in front of the vehicle, the ToF positioning system 107 proceeds to the next step.

In a second check (check #2) at step 520, ToF positioning system 107 determines whether the tag 5111F value is the maximum of all values associated with tag 111. In response to a positive determination, ToF locating system 107 determines that user 140 is in front of the vehicle (e.g., vehicle region 106A). In response to a negative determination, ToF positioning system 107 proceeds to a third check.

At a third check (check #3) at step 525, if the distance of the mobile device 120 from the tag 6111G is greater than the distance of the user device 120 from all other tags 111A-111F, the "and" tag 1111B and tag 3111D fail to communicate with the mobile device 120, then the ToF positioning system 107 determines that the user 140 is in front of the vehicle (e.g., vehicle zone 106A). In response to a negative determination (e.g., there is a communication at one of the tested tag locations), then the system proceeds to block 530, which is a fourth check (check # 4). In response to a positive determination, ToF locating system 107 proceeds to block 535.

At block 530, the ToF positioning system 107 performs a fourth check (check #4) to determine whether the distance from the tag 0111A is greater than a predetermined threshold distance (e.g., 11m, 10.5m, 10m, etc.). In response to a positive determination, ToF positioning system 107 determines that mobile device 140 is positioned at 0 ° (step 535). In response to a negative determination, the ToF positioning system determines that the user is not positioned at 0 ° at step 545. The system may then move to the next 45 position as shown at block 550.

Also, multiple conditions confirm the location of the mobile device 120 with a higher confidence than if fewer conditions were used. Correctly determining the vehicle zone 106 in which the mobile device 120 is located may confirm that the last part of the algorithm is functioning correctly when determining the distance of the user 140 from the vehicle 105. Similar to short range location, long range location uses tags that are closest to the particular vehicle area 106 evaluated for location and compares them to distances from other tags. In addition, in the event that one of the previous conditions fails, some other logical check is made. The remote process runs through all eight zones at a time to maintain accuracy and precision.

Fig. 6 is a table of tag distances at 0 ° relative to a MIMO antenna array (e.g., ToF module 111) in accordance with the disclosure. The table of fig. 6 depicts data for longer distances (e.g., 2m, 3m, 4m, etc.). An or check is performed four times to determine if the user of the ToF device is at the 0 ° (in front of the vehicle) region 106A. Fig. 7 is a table of measured tag distances at 0 ° relative to a MIMO antenna array (e.g., ToF module 111) in accordance with the disclosure. The table of fig. 7 depicts data for shorter distances (e.g., 1ft, 1m, etc.).

The tables depicted in fig. 6 and 7 include data collected at different distances from the vehicle 105 during testing. There are some differences between short range and long range. At close range, all seven tags 111 may communicate with a ToF anchor (e.g., mobile device 120). At long distances this may not be the case. Because of these differences, the logical checks can advantageously be distinguished from each other to confirm the location of the user 140. This is also why the first part of the algorithm includes performing a check to determine whether mobile device 120 is more or less than two meters from vehicle 105. Regardless of the distance, ToF positioning system 107 accurately reports the distance from the anchor point (e.g., mobile device 120) to tag 111, and tests for changes in distance in the results.

FIG. 8 shows a flowchart 800 illustrating steps of an algorithm for calculating the distance of the mobile device 120 from the vehicle 105 according to another embodiment. Fig. 9A and 9B depict locating a mobile device 120 using three trilateration methods in accordance with the present disclosure. Fig. 8 and 9 will be considered together in the following section.

Referring now to fig. 8, at step 805, ToF locating system 107 may determine a particular area proximate to vehicle 105 where a ToF device (e.g., mobile device 120) is located and calculate a distance of the smartphone or other ToF device from vehicle 105. This is done whether more or less than two meters from the skin of vehicle 105. The ToF positioning system 107 can track the proximity of the user device by repeating the positioning algorithm even if more than two meters are determined. The distance calculation is the same whether the user 140 is determined to be more than two meters or less than two meters. There are three different types of calculation methods. One approach is to use direct distance measurements to the tags. The second method creates a right triangle based on the tag location and the different distances (such as widths) inherent to the vehicle itself. A third method uses a 2D trilateration method to calculate distances. Note that when it is determined that the user is more than 2 meters from the vehicle, the 2D trilateration calculations are not calculated, as it may not be possible to communicate with some tags. After all calculations are completed, confidence percentiles are determined based on how many of the total calculations are within a predetermined range.

At step 810, ToF positioning system 107 determines the position of mobile device 120 at position 0 ° 106A (as depicted in fig. 3). At

steps

815, 820, 825, 830, 835, 840, 845, 850, and 860, the ToF positioning system 107 performs a series of calculations, then performs a series of trilateration calculations at step 865 (denoted as step 865 in fig. 8 and described in detail with respect to fig. 9), performs a confidence determination step at step 870, and finally repeats the process at subsequent 45 ° intervals at step 875.

Referring now to fig. 9A and 9B, methods 1 through 9 are graphically depicted, where fig. 9A shows trilateration using methods #1 and #2, and fig. 9B shows trilateration using methods #3 through 9.

Method #1 and method #2 take direct measurements from tag 0111A and tag 2111C (shown in fig. 3), respectively. The distance of the mobile device 120 from the vehicle 105 is calculated using the known half-width of the vehicle 105 to create a right triangle and pythagorean theorem. The distance is adjusted by subtracting the physical distance from the front of the vehicle 105 at which tag 0111A and tag 2111C are located for

methods

1 and 2, respectively.

For example, if tag 0111A measures the user 3.3 meters from the skin of vehicle 105, this is classified as variable 'C'. If the known half-width of the vehicle 105 is 0.9 meters, this is classified as variable 'A'. According to the Pythagorean theorem of right-angled triangle, A ² +B ² ＝C ² . Rearranging the above formula to obtain an unknown side B ═ v (C) ² -A ² ). The algorithm may then obtain the difference between B and the distance from the front of the vehicle 105 to the tag 0111A. If the value is 1m, according to method #1, the user 140 is calculated as being a [ (3.3 ]) from the vehicle 105 ² -〖0.9〗 ² ) -1 ═ 2.1 m. Method #2 may also be performed using the same method.

Methods # 3-9 may include calculating the distance of the user 140 from the vehicle 105 (and more precisely, the distance of the mobile device 120 from the vehicle) in the same manner.

Methods

3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 can make direct measurements of the tags 0111A, 1111B, 2111C, 3111D, 4111E, 5111F, and 6111G, respectively.

ToF locating system 107 may then obtain the difference between the measured distance and the physical distance that tags 0-6 (111A-111G) are located from the front of vehicle 105. For example, if the tag 4111E measures the distance of the mobile device 120 from the skin of the vehicle 105 as 2.4 meters, and the tag 4111E is 1.8 meters inward from the front of the vehicle 105, then the computing mobile device 120 is calculated to be 4.1-1.8 ═ 2.3m from the vehicle 105.

Fig. 10 depicts the use of trilateration to locate a mobile device 120 in accordance with the present disclosure. The final calculation is a 2D trilateration calculation. The calculation method uses two cartesian dimensions, an analytic geometry and a station-based coordinate system.

The 2D trilateration calculation uses two tags on the vehicle 105. These two tags serve as two circle centers (C11005 and C21010). For 0 vehicle region 106A (as depicted in fig. 3), let C11005 be tag 0 and C2 be tag 2. The two circles have a known spacing U. Let U be the known distance between tag 0111A and tag 2111C. In this case, U is the full width of the vehicle 105. The location where the two

circles

1005 and 1010 intersect is point P, which may be (x, y) coordinates relative to the (0,0) coordinate system of the center of C1. The radii of the two circles are defined as:

they may be rearranged into the following forms:

the (x, y) coordinate pair represents a location of the mobile device 120 calculated based on trilateration. The y coordinate represents the distance from the vehicle 105. The difference between the y value and the physical distance of tag 0111A and tag 2111C from the front of vehicle 105 is obtained to obtain the final distance of mobile device 120 from vehicle 105.

For example, if the half width of the vehicle 105 is 0.9652m and the distance of the user is determined to be 2.1m, the 2D coordinate pair is (0.9652, 2.1). The distance from the front of the vehicle 105 to the tag 0111A and the tag 2111C is 1.016 m. Using the y coordinate point, the user is 2.1-1.016 ═ 1.084m from vehicle 105.

Once it has been determined that the user (e.g., mobile device 120) is in the area 0 ° vehicle zone 106A (depicted in fig. 3), the results are based on a total of 10 calculations.

Referring again to fig. 8, at step 870, ToF positioning system 107 determines a confidence percentile based on all 10 results. Most calculations falling within a specified range may result in the vehicle 105 being some distance from where the user is located. For example, if 8 of 10 of the 10 results are evaluated in the range of 1.75 to 2.75, the user 140 is determined to be 2m from the vehicle 105 with a confidence measure of 80%.

In addition to performing calculations for a particular vehicle region 106 (as shown in fig. 3) and where the user 140 is located, the ToF positioning system 107 can also evaluate the results of two adjacent regions to ensure that the distance from the vehicle 105 to the particular region located by the portion 3 is relatively accurate. For example, if section 3 determines that user 140 is located in 0 ° vehicle zone 106A, ToF locating system 107 may perform all of the calculation methods for 45 °

vehicle zone

106B and 315 ° vehicle zone 106H (see fig. 3). These regions adjacent to region 106A may also be included in the percentage confidence calculation.

The calculation method is the same for the other 7 areas 106B to 106H around the vehicle 105. A combination of direct measurements of tag 111, creation of triangles based on known dimensions for vehicle 105 and tag location, and 2D trilateration. ToF positioning system 107 may calculate the percentage separation at all eight areas and all distances around vehicle 105, regardless of whether the ToF device (mobile device 140) is more or less than 2 meters from the skin of vehicle 105.

In the above disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific implementations in which the disclosure may be practiced. It is to be understood that other implementations may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References in the specification to "one embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that such feature, structure, or characteristic may be used in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

Further, where appropriate, the functions described herein may be performed in one or more of the following: hardware, software, firmware, digital components, or analog components. For example, one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) may be programmed to perform one or more of the systems and procedures described herein. Certain terms are used throughout the description and claims to refer to particular system components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, components may be referred to by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function.

It should also be understood that the word "exemplary" as used herein is intended to be non-exclusive and non-limiting in nature. More specifically, the word "example" is used herein to indicate one of several examples, and it should be understood that undue emphasis or preference has not been placed on the particular example described.

Computer-readable media (also referred to as processor-readable media) includes any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) media that participate in providing data (e.g., instructions) that are readable by a computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. The computing device may include computer-executable instructions, where the instructions are executable by one or more computing devices (such as those listed above) and stored on a computer-readable medium.

With respect to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that, although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced with the described steps performed in an order other than the order described herein. It is also understood that certain steps may be performed simultaneously, that other steps may be added, or that certain steps described herein may be omitted. In other words, the description of processes herein is provided for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed as limiting the claims.

Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided would be apparent upon reading the above description. The scope should be determined, not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that the technology discussed herein will be developed in the future and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In summary, it should be understood that the present application is capable of modification and variation.

Unless explicitly indicated to the contrary herein, all terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meaning as understood by those skilled in the art described herein. In particular, the use of singular articles such as "a," "the," "said," etc. should be read to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary. Conditional language such as, inter alia, "can," "might," "may," or "may" is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments may include certain features, elements, and/or steps, while other embodiments may not include certain features, elements, and/or steps, unless specifically stated otherwise or otherwise understood within the context when used. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments.

According to an embodiment, the invention is further characterized by instructions stored thereon to calculate the distance to the user device by causing the processor to: performing a plurality of measurements based on paired ToF antennas of the ToF antenna array.

According to an embodiment, the plurality of measurements comprises 9 measurements, the 9 measurements comprising 10 pairs of ToF antennas of the ToF antenna array.

According to an embodiment, the invention also features instructions stored thereon to perform a first time-of-flight check by executing the following instructions: receiving a first signal from the user device via a first vehicle exterior antenna, the first signal comprising: a first ToF value indicating a ToF from a first internal antenna to the user device; and a second ToF value indicative of a second ToF from a second internal antenna to the user device; and determining, via the ToF positioning controller, that the first ToF value is less than the second ToF value.

According to an embodiment, calculating the distance from the combination of the two ToF antennas of the ToF antenna array to the user device comprises calculating the distance at a plurality of 45 ° regions of the vehicle.

According to an embodiment, the user device comprises a ToF transceiver.

Claims

1. A method for locating a user device using a time-of-flight (ToF) antenna array disposed on a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining, via a ToF positioning controller, that the user device is located at a forward area of the vehicle;

calculating a distance from a combination of two ToF antennas of the ToF antenna array to the user device;

performing a two-dimensional (2D) trilateration calculation;

evaluating the confidence measure;

determining a location of the user device based on the confidence measure; and

an unlock signal to unlock the door is generated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the distance to the user device comprises performing a plurality of measurements based on paired ToF antennas of the ToF antenna array.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said plurality of measurements comprises 9 measurements, said 9 measurements comprising 10 pairs of ToF antennas of said array of ToF antennas.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the user device is located at the forward area of the vehicle comprises:

performing a first time-of-flight check on a signal received at a first vehicle exterior antenna of the ToF antenna array;

performing a second time-of-flight check on the signal received at a second vehicle exterior antenna of the ToF antenna array;

performing a third time-of-flight check on the signal received at a third vehicle exterior antenna of the ToF antenna array;

performing a fourth time-of-flight check at a plurality of vehicle interior antennas of the ToF antenna array; and

determining that the user device is located at a 0 ° position relative to a forward portion of the vehicle using the first time-of-flight check, second time-of-flight check, third time-of-flight check, and fourth time-of-flight check.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein performing the first time-of-flight check comprises:

receiving a first signal from the user device via a first external antenna of the ToF antenna array, the first signal comprising:

a first ToF value indicating a ToF from a first internal antenna to the user device, an

A second ToF value indicating a second ToF from a second internal antenna to the user device; and

determining, via the ToF positioning controller, that the first ToF value is less than the second ToF value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the distance from the combination of the two ToF antennas of the ToF antenna array to the user device comprises calculating the distance at a plurality of 45 ° regions of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the user device comprises a ToF transceiver.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory for storing executable instructions, the processor programmed to execute the instructions to:

determining, via a time-of-flight (ToF) positioning controller, that a user device is located at a forward area of a vehicle;

calculating a distance from a combination of two ToF antennas of a ToF antenna array to the user device;

performing a two-dimensional (2D) trilateration calculation;

evaluating the confidence measure;

determining a location of the user device based on the confidence measure; and

an unlock signal to unlock the door is generated.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further programmed to calculate the distance from the user device by executing the following instructions:

performing a plurality of measurements based on paired ToF antennas of the ToF antenna array.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of measurements comprises 9 measurements, the 9 measurements comprising 10 pairs of ToF antennas of the ToF antenna array.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine that the user device is located at the forward area of the vehicle by executing the following instructions:

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further programmed to perform the first time-of-flight check by executing instructions to:

receiving, from the user device via the first vehicle exterior antenna, a first signal comprising:

13. The system of claim 8, wherein calculating the distance from the combination of the two ToF antennas of the ToF antenna array to the user device comprises calculating the distance at a plurality of 45 ° regions of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the user device comprises a ToF transceiver.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in a time-of-flight (ToF) positioning controller, the computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

determining, via a ToF positioning controller, that a user device is located at a forward area of a vehicle;

performing a two-dimensional (2D) trilateration calculation;

evaluating the confidence measure;

determining a location of the user device based on the confidence measure; and

an unlock signal to unlock the door is generated.